GB2062742A - A Latch for a Door or Gate - Google Patents

Abstract

A latch for a door or gate comprises a gravity-operated bolt (4) pivoted at (3) and engaging in a keeper (9), release being effected by lever (12). The latch bolt 4 is pivoted at a slot 13 so that it can be slid longitudinal under a blocking abutment 10 to prevent its release. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION A Latch for a Door or Gate This invention relates to latches for doors or gates of the type which consist of a horizontal bar mounted on one side of the door by a pin near one end of the bar on or around which the bar can pivot, the other end of the bar resting when the latch is engaged, in a catch or hook mounted on the post or jamb. The term "door or gate" is intended to include not only actual doors and gates but also any other suitably hinged structure.

In the conventional type of latch, known as the "Suffolk" latch, the pin passes through a hole near one end of the bar and is secured by means of a plate to one side of the door, the bar being free to pivot about the pin. A lever is mounted on the door, passing under the middle region of the bar and through a vertically extending slot in the door, and is movable up the slot by manual action applied from either side of the door in order to lift the bar clear of the catch or hook on the door-post in which it rests, and thus to allow the door to open.

In another well-known type of latch, often used on gates, the pin or spindle passes through the door or gate and carries on each side a handle adapted to rotate the pin. The pin is fast with the bar or otherwise designed so that, when it rotates, it carries the bar upwards in order to allow the door to open as already described.

On both of these conventional types of latch a keeper is normally fastened near the free edge of the door and, by encircling the bar, restrains movement of the bar within the confines required for its normal operation.

It has usually been accepted with latches of this and similar types that, if it is desired to lock the door, a separate bolt or lock must be provided.

The present invention therefore provides a latch of the general type described above which is constructed to incorporate means to enable it to be secured on one side of the door or gate against being opened from the other.

According to the invention, there is provided a latch for a door or gate comprising a horizontal bar for mounting on one face of the door or gate to extend beyond the edge of the door or gate for engagement in a hook type catch, the bar being pivoted at a point away from the door or gate edge, and operating means acting on the bar for raising the bar about the pivot out of engagement with the hook type catch wherein movement means are provided for enabling longitudinal movement of the bar between a first or normal position and a second or locked position and locking means are provided for preventing the operating means from pivoting the bar when the bar is in the second position.

The movement means may comprise a longitudinal slot in the bar through which a pivot pin forming the pivot for the bar passes. The locking means may comprise a stop engageable by the bar in its second position and located on that side of the bar to which the bar must pivot to release the bar from the hook type catch.

The stop may comprise a hook element into which the bar can slide, the base of the hook being on that side of the bar to which the bar must pivot to release the bar from the hook type catch.

A unit may be provided including two hook type catches and a single stop, the arrangement being such that the stop co-operates with one of the two hook type catches depending on whether the latch is to be used on a left-handed or righthanded door or gate.

In an alternative type of latch, the slot in the bar may be of keyhole shape and may co-operate with a pivot pin of square cross-section, the arrangement being such that when the bar is in its first position, the pivot pin engages in the narrow part of the slot so that the bar will turn with the pivot pin but when the bar is in its second position, the pivot pin rides in the wider part of the slot and is ineffective in pivoting the bar.

The invention will now be described, in greater detail, by way of example, with reference to the drawings in which: Fig. 1 is a side view of a "Suffolk" type latch mounted at the right hand edge of a door with the bar in its normal unlocked position; Fig. 2 is a similar view to Fig. 1 with the bar in its locked position; Fig. 3 is a cross-section of the latch shown in Figs. 1 and 2; Fig. 4 is a partial side view showing two identical catch plates mounted adjacent each other on a door post to the left of the door; Fig. 5 is similar to Fig. 4 but shows the catch plates mounted on a door post to the right of the door; Figs. 6 and 6A are side views of a single catch plate suitable for use with a right or left-hand opening door; Fig. 6B is a view of a partially formed blank for making a catch plate similar to that shown in Fig.

6A; Fig. 7 shows two perspective views of a catch plate suitable for use on right or left-hand door posts, the orientation in both cases being indicated; Fig. 8 is a side view of a "Suffolk" type latch adapted to be locked by moving the bar away from the door post; Fig. 9 is a side view of an alternative type of lockable latch with the bar, operated by a rotatable handle, in its normal or unlocked condition; Fig. 10 is a similar view to that of Fig. 9 showing the latch in the locked condition; and Fig. 11 is a plan view of a lockable "Suffolk" type latch in which the bar has an indent on its lower surface to disable normal operation of the lever.

The "Suffolk" latch shown in Figs. 1 to 3 comprises a plate 1, fastened to the door 2, the plate carrying a pin 3 passing through a slot 13 near one end of a flat horizontal bar 4. The bar carries a knob 5 and has its range of movement constrained by a keeper 6 fastened to the door. In line with the bar and fastened to the door post 7 is a catch plate 8, carrying a catch or hook 9, into which the free end of the bar engages when the latch is in use. The catch may be formed integrally with the catch plate as by pressing or otherwise shaping it, or may be a separate component joined to the plate.Also on the plate is an abutment 10 in the form of a reversed catch which is positioned such that it is clear of the bar in the normal position of the bar and allow the end of the bar to move freely upward to disengage from the catch 9; the abutment projects in a line substantially perpendicular to the plane of the catch plate 8. Although shown as a hook type catch, the downward extending hook portion may be omitted.

The door has a vertically extending slot 11 through which the usual pivotally mounted lever handle member 12 passes. This lever handle member 12 can be operated from either side of the door to raise the bar when the bar is in its normal unlocked position and so as to release the catch and allow the door to open.

The slot 13 provided in the bar 4 extends longitudinally, enabling the bar to slide along the pin and move longitudinally between a normal position illustrated in Fig. 1 and a locked position in Fig. 2. A knob 5 is provided on the bar for this purpose. In the locked position, the right-hand end of the bar rests with its lower surface on the catch and its upper surface is engaged by the abutment 10. The lower and/or upper surfaces of the end of the bar may, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, be given a slight wedge formation so that, as the bar is moved into the locking position, there is a frictional fit between the bar and the catch 9 and/orthe abutment 10.

The catch plate 8 shown in Figs. 1 and 2 is only suitable for a right-hand opening door as illustrated. In order to provide a lockable latch suitable for both a left-hand and a right-hand opening door, various alternative solutions are illustrated in Figs. 4 to 7.

In Figs. 4 and 5, two identical catch plates 14 and 1 5 are provided, one of which will be fastened in the normal manner to the door or gate post, and the other of which will be fastened the other way up next to the first catch plate and on the side farthest from the door.

The length of the slot 13 in the latch bar and the distance between the catches on the two catch plates is suitably approximately the same, and for convenience of installation, this may be to some degree predetermined by the width of the two catch plates, the width of the two catch plates then being such that they can be attached in engagement with each other.

Alternatively, a single catch plate can be provided suitable for use with left or right-hand door openings. Such catch plates are illustrated in Figs. 6, 6A or 7.

The catch plates 16 in Figs. 6 and 6A will always be used in the orientation shown and the outer of the two lower catches, namely that further from the door depending on whether the door is right-handed or left-handed, will normally serve no purpose while the abutm 10 will cooperate with either catch 9.

Fig. 6B shows a partly formed blank for producing a catch plate similar to that shown in Fig. 6A. The catch plate can be formed of a single piece pressing 30 which is first pressed out to the shape shown and at the same time presses out the part 31 to form the upper abutment 10. The two projecting parts 32 and 33 are bent at right angles to the main part 34 of the blank, preferably as a follow-on of the initial pressing operation, to form the catches 9. Two fastening holes 35 are also punched out.

In a particular example of such a catch plate, the plate has a thickness of 3/32" (2.4 mm) and a width of about 1-3/8" (35 mm). The abutment part 31 has a width between 1/4" (6.4 mm) and 3/8" (9.5 mm) and the distance between the abutment part 31 and the outer edge of the catch plate on either side is about 1/4" (6.4 mm) and 3/8" (9.5 mm). Suitably the vertical distance between the lines A and B will allow a vertical play of the bar in the locked position of between 1/1 6" (1.6 mm) and 1/8" (3.2 mm).

The catch plate in Fig. 7 is shown in each of two alternative positions with the lower catch 1 8 adjacent the door whether the door is right or lefthanded: in each case, the upper catch 19 serves only to make the catch plate universal.

The abutment 10 will preferably be positioned on a line perpendicular to the line bisecting the distance C between the two catches and this distance C will be such as to allow the bar on being moved to its locking position to pass between the abutment and whichever of the two elements 1 8 and 1 9 is acting as the catch. The distance D between the catches must be sufficient to allow the bar to pass between them when in the unlocked position.

An alternative embodiment is shown in Fig. 8 in which the bar 4 is shown, slid into its locking position by movement of the bar 4 away from the door post 7, an abutment 20 being provided on the door 2 to engage the lower surface of the bar, thus preventing it from pivoting about the pin 3.

The abutment may be provided as an integral part of the plate 1 but in this case it would have to be laterally extended so as to include the abutment plate 20a in order to accommodate the abutment 20. Alternatively the catch 20 may be provided on; a separate plate 20a to be mounted adjacent the plate 1, such separate plate being conveniently of identical form with the catch plate 8.

In Figs. 9 and 10 is shown a latch of the other general type already mentioned at the outset, in which the bar 21 is pivotable with a pin or spindle 22 extending through the gate or door. In Fig. 9, the bar 21 is in its operating position so that the square cross-section of the spindle 22, as depicted, engages in a complementary narrower part 23 of a keyhole-shaped slot 24. The bar would thus be entrained by the spindle 22 when it rotates. In Fig. 10, the bar 21 has been moved into a locked position in which the enlarged partcircular portion 25 of the slot 24 surrounds the spindle 22 allowing it to turn idly without raising the bar 21. The usual type of ring handle associated with the spindle 22 is indicated in dotted lines at 28.

In Fig. 11 there is shown a "Suffolk" type latch in which the bar 4 is provided on its lower edge with an indentation 26 into which, when the bar 4 is moved into the second or "locked" position, the handle member 27 may be moved idly without raising the bar 4.

It will be appreciated that various modifications may be made to the above described embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention. For example, the various abutments shown in Figs. 1 to 8 may equally well be used with the type of latch shown in Figs. 9 and 10 instead of the keyhole slot shown. Catch plates with detachable abutments could be provided so that, with a central catch, the abutment could be moved from one side of the catch to the other, avoiding the requirement to provide two catches. The catches could be pressed out of the catch plate as well as the abutment (as shown in Fig. 6A).

The latches described can all be used on either doors or gates, or indeed on any other suitably hinged structure.

Claims (16)

Claims

1. A latch for a door or gate comprising a horizontal bar for mounting on one face of the door or gate to extend beyond the edge of the door or gate for engagement in a hook type catch, the bar being pivoted at a point away from the door or gate edge, and operating means acting on the bar for raising the bar about the pivot out of engagement with the hook type catch wherein movement means are provided for enabling longitudinal movement of the bar between a first or normal position and a second or locked position and locking means are provided for preventing the operating means from pivoting the bar when the bar is in the second position.

2. A latch as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the movement means comprises a longitudinal slot in the bar through which a pivot pin, forming the pivot of the bar, passes.

3. A latch as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the locking means comprises a stop engageable by the bar in its second position and located on that side of the bar to which the bar must pivot to release the bar from the hook type catch.

4. A latch as claimed in claim 3, wherein the stop is provided adjacent the hook type catch.

5. A latch as claimed in claim 3, wherein the stop is provided on the opposite side of the pivot to the hook type catch.

6. A latch as claimed in claims 3, 4 or 5, wherein the stop comprises a hook element into which the bar can slide, the base of the hook being on that side of the bar to which the bar must pivot to release the bar from the hook type catch.

7. A latch as claimed in claim 6, wherein the hook type catch and the stop are identical.

8. A latch as claimed in any one of claims 3 to 7, wherein the hook type catch is provided on a base plate on which the stop is also provided.

9. A latch as claimed in any one of claims 3 to 8, wherein a unit is provided including two hook type catches and a single stop, the arrangement being such that the stop co-operates with one of the two hook type catches depending on whether the latch is to be used on a left-handed or righthanded door or gate.

10. A latch as claimed in claim 9, wherein a catch plate is provided with two spaced apart hook type catches and the stop between the catches being spaced from the line joining them by a distance to allow the bar to pass between either catch and the stop.

11. A latch as claimed in claim 9, wherein a catch plate is provided with two opposed hook type catches along one edge and a stop at the other edge equidistant from the two catches, the arrangement being such that the bar can pass between either catch and the stop, the catch used depending on the left or right-handedness of the door or gate.

12. A latch as claimed in claim 10 or 11, wherein the catch plate comprises flat blank from which the catches and/or the stop are pushed out.

13. A latch as claimed in claim 10or11, wherein the catch plate comprises a flat bank with two sideways extending hook projections, the stop being formed by pushing out and bending a cut out tongue and the catches being formed by bending the hook projections through 900 so that they stand proud of the same face of the blank as the stop.

14. A latch as claimed in claim 2, wherein the slot is of keyhole shape and co-operates with a pivot pin of square cross-section, the arrangement being such that when the bar is in its first position, the pivot pin engages in the narrow part of the slot so that the bar will turn with the pivot pin but when the bar is in its second position, the pivot pin rides in the wider part of the slot and is ineffective in pivoting the bar.

1 5. A latch as claimed in claim 14, wherein the operating means comprise a handle fast for rotation with the pivot pin.

16. A latch as claimed in claim 2, wherein the operating means comprises a lever extending through the door or gate at right angles to the bar and pivoted to the door or gate, the lever being arranged to engage the lower edge of the bar to raise it, the bar having a recess which, in the second position of the bar, lies above the lever so that the lever, on being operated, moves in the recess without being able to engage the bar.

1 7. A latch for a door or gate substantially as described herein with reference to the drawings.